


Soaring high

by thefaultinourdemonpox



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 17:29:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8498902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefaultinourdemonpox/pseuds/thefaultinourdemonpox
Summary: Moving was never easy- unless it was to go back to  where you want to be. At the age of 17 Riko Echizen moves back to Japan with her parents and two years old younger brother in town.  The next goal was obvious: Graduate from high school and find something all for herself. trying to reach the final of a national tournament was never really in the plan-
Set in canon- timeline just pretending that they are a few years older





	1. Chapter 1

                In your life there will be countless years and thousands of moments that you will not remember.

A day has approximately 86.400 seconds and about 2 quarters of it you are most likely dazing off thinking about your dream/your future. But at some point in your life all of this will change and after that you will be on your line finally finding your way. It doesn’t matter how old you are. It doesn’t matter who you are. You will come across this point and then it will all seem alright. My name is Echizen Riko and to me this point came, when I had just turned 17. It was the year we finally moved back to Japan after living in the united states for almost 11 years. It was hard to believe to be actually back. I barely could remember anything about Japan except for the language that mom and dad had raised me and my little brother with. And yet there was that tingle of excitement buried deep in my soul that came with the thought of returning home.

                                                        Because America was never my home. _Not after Japan._


	2. Chapter 2

“Please resume your original position. The plane will land within 15 minutes.” Riko stretched back in her seat grinning lightly: “Ryo- wake up.” She shook the shoulders of her little brother lightly trying to wake him up: “We will be there soon.” He just grumbled in his sleep and turned around. Riko sighed softly, knowing that Roma had been a lot more annoyed by the sudden move into the foreign land than she had been. “Mom-Dad- are you awake?” “Keep your mouth shut, brat. There are still another 10 minutes to kill.” She turned on her seat eyes twinkling to her father: “But Dad! We will be back soon. Aren’t you happy?” Her eyes glistened with the fever of someone that hadn’t slept for the last day as she dropped back into her seat staring out of the window. “Everything is so tiny! Look at it dad!” The only response she got was a loud grunt and a kick into the back of her seat. She giggled softly to herself feeling her heart beating louder and louder with each passing second. It was a strange feeling of returning for her last year towards adulthood and yet she wouldn’t change it for the world. After all these years the thought of reaching Japan felt like the best thing she could have ever thought about. Her nerves were tingling with excitement making it unbelievable hard to keep still. Her hair was tousled after the long flight and a few hours of precious sleep. Riko knew that later on the jetlag would come to bite her in the ass yet for the moment every possibility of going to sleep had been erased from her mind leaving her on a sleep deprived rush of energy. In the end it was ridiculous for her to get so worked up about moving again. She had no friends in Japan and would enroll in a new school for her senior year. Her last year in school- the year where she had been supposed to finish her education and freak out with her friends. Technically seen there was no reason for her to be excited about leaving America, the place that had been her home for the last years. The place where she had found new friends, started entering tournaments for the first time, the place where she had gotten her heart broken for the first time, the place where she had broken a heart for the first time. But it wasn’t heart tearing desire for America that plagued her mind. It was rising curiousity, a fire that had planted itself in her soul willing her to reach for more. In America she had been content, living her life as a usual teenager . Japan on the other hand meant possibilities. It was soaring higher than she had ever dreamed of. Her father had once gone to America to pursue his dreams. Riko would do that by going back to her origins. She would never be a professional tennis player. Not like her father had been for a short time, not like her little brother was so capable of doing. No she would find herself something. Something all for herself no matter what she would have to do for that. It would be hers and she could almost feel it slipping through her fingers.

Riko stared out of the window of the cab eyes wide at the sight of the busy streets so similar to New York and yet so different at the same time. The euphoria she had felt on the flight had been soon gone once they had stepped out onto the streets. She had felt like a stranger with her shaggy hair and American clothes. The dark haired girl had fidgeted on the spot fingers tangling in her hair in a forlorn attempt to tidy her appearance. Her family was obviously not feeling the odd stares they got as Ryoma simply pulled his cap deeper into his face shielding his still tired eyes from the bright sunlight and as her mother rolled up her sleeves to get a cab. In the split second that they had arrived Riko couldn’t help but realize that her family had already adapted to their new life. They seemed to slide into it so easily that the only motion familiar enough to challenge it was breathing. Riko’s gaze stayed on her mother as the older Echizen managed to get the attention of a taxi driver before flashing Nanjiroh a bright succesfull smile . Finally untangling her fingers out of her hair Riko breathed out a deep sigh. From the outside they looked like the perfect story book family that had lived in the same house all their life. No one would accuse them of being too American. Even Ryoma fitted into the scenery perfectly with the slight scowl on his face. It made her wonder what the real reason for their move was. Weather it was really the thought of bringing Ryoma closer to their origins or if it were just her parents that had missed their home. She had never seen them looking that content in America as they were now. Her father and mother smiling at each other with the faces of people who were finally home after a long trip. Riko watched them with fond smiles her own palms slightly sweaty. She was not used to change- change was not always good, but she really hoped that this one would be. The houses flew past her and she was absolutely fascinated. She could still remember the flight from Japan to America 11 years ago. It had happened in the night and she was barely able to keep her eyes open but she could still remember the flashing lights of the city. It was nothing compared to the high skyscrapers of Tokyo glistening in the bare sunlight. She leaned back contently waiting for the car to stop as they came to a halt in front of an old temple. Her gaze took in the view of the rustical façade hungrily. She loved old buildings. There was just something about them that fascinated her- perhaps it was the old feeling, the thought of something standing for such a long time. She had been overjoyed as soon as she was told that they would live in a traditional temple that had been redesigned into a modern house. In a way it was like a dream come true- like hr own fairy-tale castle waiting for her. Just instead of towers there was a huge bell in the garden and a tennis court.

_And she really couldn’t wait to explore her castle of dreams._


End file.
